Interview: Griffin Colapinto Talks Tubes, Timing And Breaking Through In Barreling Surf
In San Clemente surf circles, Griffin Colapinto is much more than a hometown hero. He’s like a spiritual guru with dimples and a ridiculous air game. Thoughtful, articulate, introspective at times, during the offseason he attended a meditation retreat to help evolve his mindset. And as he steadies himself for another shot at the title in 2024, Colapinto knows that patience, experience and a clear head are his keys to success.
But it’s not just about him. There are four rookies on tour this year from San Clemente and they’ve all grown up looking to Colapinto for inspiration, even his younger bother, Crosby. Through this maturation process and the blossoming of his local surf scene, Colapinto has enlightened the younger crew to the powers of journaling, open communication with one another and meditating. Behind the explosive surfing is a much more measured mindset that puts a premium on the process rather than instant gratification.
Before the start of the Pipe Pro, Sports Illustrated’s Fan Nation caught up with Colapinto to talk about the upcoming season. In the conversation the 25-year-old future Olympian opened up about why he’s trying to think less and do more when it comes to surfing heats, especially in big, hollow waves.
“I just haven’t had that moment in a barreling contest yet that I’ve been hoping I would have,” Colapinto explains. “But I think it will come when the timing is just perfect.”
“At this point in my career I’ve competed so much that I don’t really have to think that much,” he continued. “It’s more just about doing … Experience is your biggest teacher, and I’ve had so much experience at this point that I think all the lessons I’ve learned over the past few years are engrained in me.”
In his first heat of the year, Colapinto found himself in need of a score in the dying minutes. Digging deep, he scratched into a big Pipeline bomb, grabbed his rail and scored one of the best waves of the day. Trusting the process, he won the heat and lived to surf another day.
